One summer Friday - Sunday weekend about 10 years ago, I attended a Navy Logistics conference at Notre Dame. Rear Admiral Tom Hill, the officer in charge of running that year's conference, was a Notre Dame graduate, so he decided that Notre Dame would be the venue for the conference. We did the meetings, some meals and a reception on campus in South Bend. On campus lodging (dorm rooms) was available to those who wanted it, as an alternative to hotel/motel lodging.

The President of Notre Dame addressed us (600 plus Navy officers and senior enlisted personnel) and covered various topics in his remarks. He stressed the fact that Notre Dame and the US Navy have a special relationship and football is only one aspect of it. During WWII and the years shortly thereafter, when college registration was very low, Navy conducted many schools at Notre Dame. Many Navy veterans attended Notre Dame using their GI Bill benefits after WWII. He claimed that this relationship with Navy helped ND survive financially during hard times. As a result of that, ND is willing to play Navy in football and other sports each year, even though scheduling another opponent might put more money in ND's account.

There was a marble statue of the founder of ND, Father Edwin Sorin, on campus. But one day the statue just disappeared.

Every so often after that, for years, the president would get a letter from the statue's namesake bidding him well from some famous place. In the mailing would be included a photograph of the statue at each famous sight.

Then one Christmas morning. out on the lake, appeared the statue in a small row boat.

Guys, Thanks for the comments. I sent a few back to the ret USN, CAPT in San Diego for his edification - a Loughlin '68 grad & Academy

Terrence - All the Bros thru the late 60's went to Catholic University of America for Undergrad and some later for grad work(fruits of all your St. LaSalle Auxiliary work there; whole 4yrs cost about $10,00). By far, the finest history courses I ever had- grad school included. CUA was set up by the Bishops in the 90's(18) as a Grad school and only let a limited #'s of Religious order Undergrads into the same classes. We met 3x/wk Grads met 2x/wk. One Prof, John Zeender(Harvard, I think) taught many of the European and Central Europe courses - absolutely awesome. Though I was an American History Major, I ended up w/more credits in European because I took as many of his Electives and I could. He had me reading French articles for a paper on the Katyn Massacre, WWII - surprised even me! Bell.

Living here in the shadows of West Point, I often get the propaganda on Army vs ND. A losing proposition for Army, annually. I also get some satisfaction every, or almost every year, when Air Force offers up it's usual drubbing of the Cadets on the Hudson. Around these parts, Army vs Navy is the Super Bowl for the academies. All those years Air Force was regularly taking the Commander in Chief's Trophy, it was but a side note going into this contest. Maybe the Coast Guard Academy can enter the fray, giving Army a chance to beat at least ONE of the service academies!!

__________________Bob Johnston
Even being good for nothing, makes you good at something!

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